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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474258">Popular</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeonDomino/pseuds/NeonDomino'>NeonDomino</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Geek to Chic Trope, Hot nerds, M/M, Making a deal, Popularity, Remus Lupin &amp; Lily Evans Potter Friendship, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:00:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,807</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeonDomino/pseuds/NeonDomino</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When James Potter stops paying attention to Lily, Lily allows Sirius Black to give her a makeover. In return, she'll get him a date with her best friend, Remus Lupin</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>95</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Popular</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>Written in 2014</p>
</div>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/>
<p>"Okay, Evans. Here's how it is," Sirius said, approaching Lily.</p>
<p>"What?" Lily asked. "Did you think about what I asked?"</p>
<p>"I want you to set me up with your friend," Sirius continued, ignoring her.</p>
<p>"What?"</p>
<p>"You heard me. I'll make you popular like you asked, in return I want a date with that gorgeous, sexy -"</p>
<p>"His name is Remus," Lily said, with a sigh. She had seen Black's eyes follow her best friend for a long time now, and she had wondered when he'd make his move. "What makes you think that I'll risk his friendship by letting him near you?"</p>
<p>"You wound me, Evans," he replied. "I'll take good care of him, I'm not a bad guy. My reputation is full of nonsense, if you believe what you hear, I've apparently shagged half the girls in school, and I can guarantee you that I've only ever kissed two girls and hated it both times." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'd much rather be kissing your beautiful friend."</p>
<p>Lily hesitated for a long time. "Only if Remus agrees to this, I'm not setting you up with him blindly. Now hold still, I need to send a picture of you to him."</p>
<p>Sirius grinned at the phone, making his eyes as smouldering as possible, as Lily snapped a picture and sent it, along with a message asking Remus if he wanted to go on a date with Sirius Black. Sirius wasn't really sure why, he was sure Remus knew who he was by his name, but allowed it to happen. He hoped that Remus might be more tempted to agree when faced with a picture of Sirius Black.</p>
<p>It took less than twenty seconds before a beep alerted Lily to a reply on her message.</p>
<p>
  <em>'Do you even need to ask? You know I've fancied him for months. You do whatever it takes to get me that date! Please Lily, I'll owe you big.'</em>
</p>
<p>"You have yourself a deal, Black," she replied. "But you don't get your date until I get James Potter."</p><hr/>
<p>"What's wrong with your hair," Sirius grumbled. "Don't you ever use a hairbrush?" He slowly untangled his comb, and she glared at him in the mirror. "First things first, you need to get rid of this rat's nest. It looks a mess, and it makes you look crazy."</p>
<p>"It's not a rat's nest," she complained, offended at his words. She grabbed the brush from the table and angrily pulling it through her hair, trying to untangle it. "It was windy outside, and it was raining. What do you expect?"</p>
<p>"I expect you to either put your hood up or use an umbrella or something," Sirius replied. "You can't just walk around looking a mess."</p>
<p>"I'm not a mess," Lily snapped. "It's not my fault that my hair is curly. Do you want to go on a date with Remus or not?"</p>
<p>"Of course I do... I'm telling the truth, love. I'm not going to sugar-coat it like everyone has done all your life. You need help, and you're lucky, because I love to help those that are less fortunate than I."</p>
<p>"Less fortunate?" she said, turning on him. "You know, I could find someone else to do this."</p>
<p>"I know, that's what makes me so nice," Sirius replied. "Offering to help the nerds and all."</p>
<p>"Remus is a nerd," Lily replied, glaring at him through the mirror.</p>
<p>"Ah, but he's a nerd that plays a vital part to every single one of my dreams, daydreams and fantasies... usually when I'm asleep, or in the shower," Sirius replied. "He's a hot nerd... and soon, he'll be <em>my</em> hot nerd and the entire school will be jealous of me."</p>
<p>Lily groaned, her face falling into her hands.</p>
<p>"Now, lets cut this hair," he said, holding up a scissors.</p>
<p>She jumped out of the chair. "Like I'd let you near my hair with -"</p>
<p>"Trust me? Look, if I mess it up, I'll pay for you to go to a hairdresser... one of those expensive ones."</p>
<p>"But -"</p>
<p>"Do you want this or not?"</p>
<p>"I... fine," she replied, her eyes fixed nervously on the scissors. This was going to be really good... or really bad. "Not too short though."</p><hr/>
<p>"She think's you're not interested in her," Sirius explained, after James noticed him and Lily talking together quietly.</p>
<p>"Why would she think that?" James asked, surprised. "I'm only spent the last three years begging her for a date."</p>
<p>"Probably thought you had a small dick," Sirius offered, and James turned to glare at him.</p>
<p>"That's still not funny," he muttered.</p>
<p>"Fine, well, you've been busy with practice and everything, I don't recall you asking her out in the last month... I believe she thinks you've lost interest, and it bothers her."</p>
<p>"Shit, well I better go and ask her -" James began, starting to get up from the wall, his eyes on the doors that he knew would lead him to the library, where Lily was with hanging out with Remus no doubt.</p>
<p>"Wait," Sirius demanded. "She's asked me to make her popular and give her a makeover to impress you."</p>
<p>"I don't need that, I like her just as she is, she's a hot nerd, and I love that!"</p>
<p>Sirius grinned. "Ah, that brings me to why you need to keep ignoring her until I'm done."</p>
<p>"Why?" James asked, curiously.</p>
<p>"If I do this, she'll introduce me to <em>my</em> hot nerd."</p>
<p>"Wait, is all this about Remus? I mean, he'd go out with you if you ask him, you know."</p>
<p>"I don't know," Sirius replied. "She's going to hook us up."</p>
<p>"So you want me to pretend I'm not in love with her, so you can make her over, so she owes you and sets you up with Remus uh..."</p>
<p>"Lupin."</p>
<p>"Right. Remus Lupin, even though all this could be avoided by just asking him out, because I'm sure he'll say yes."</p>
<p>"He might say no," Sirius said. "This way he can't."</p>
<p>James rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Mate, I'll be the first to admit that some of my ideas are pointless or stupid... or insane, but this idea, well, it's all those and more."</p>
<p>"And that's why it will work," Sirius replied, confidently.</p>
<p>"You really are insane," James muttered, shaking his head.</p>
<p>"I may be insane, but when this all comes together, those swotty sexy nerds will be dating us. We'll both have who we want. Otherwise I'll be complaining, and crashing all your dates with Evans. Plus... she's been turning you down for so long, wouldn't it feel nice that she's finally making an effort for you too?"</p>
<p>James thought it through, before turning back to his friend. "Okay, I'll keep ignoring her, but I'm not going to be a dick about it or do it for ages. How long are you going to keep this up?"</p><hr/>
<p>The week went by quickly, and James ignored Lily, not looking at her in classes, passing her with barely even a nod. At one point he flirted with Mary MacDonald, only to realise she had silently walked over. He almost caved at the look of upset on Lily's face, but he was following Sirius' orders. Though he did tone down the flirting with others, because he didn't want Lily to look that upset again.</p>
<p>Monday rolled around, and James waited in anticipation for Sirius to arrive with Lily. He was used to a pretty girl with her red curls tied back, wearing plain jumpers, which hugged her nicely, and spending all her time in the library. He was pleasantly surprised.</p>
<p>Sirius hadn't overdone it, and he had kept mostly to her original style, but the jeans were tighter, and was that a vest-top under her cardigan, and no jumper? Her hair was just above her shoulders, straightened out, rather than the curls James was used to, with an Alice band over the top, so her hair fell down her back, rather than over her face, showing off her delicate features all the more. The look was finished with a little bit of eyeliner and lip gloss. She looked beautiful, but then again - she always did.</p>
<p>He grinned at his friend. He had worried that Lily would end up with lots of makeup on her face, one thing he hated. That's what he loved about Lily - her natural beauty, and Sirius hadn't caked her face in makeup.</p>
<p>Lily's eyes met his and he grinned at her, as she walked over.</p>
<p>"James," she said, in a tone she had never used before, and James' mouth dropped open. She had called him James, not Potter... and she done it in such a sweet way.</p>
<p>"Why don't you sit with me today, Lily-pad?"</p>
<p>She nodded, dropping into Sirius' seat. "So, I heard that you were training hard for football the other day," she said. Sirius gave an approving nod.</p>
<p>"Yeah, it was boring. Did you know there's a new bookshop opening in town next week," James said, hoping to impress her with this new fact. Her eyes widened.</p>
<p>"Where?"</p>
<p>Sirius looked around for another empty seat, spotting four. Two were ruled out quickly, when he remembered that Lily usually sat next to Remus, and both those seats were still empty. He slipped into Lily's usual seat, moments before Remus walked in.</p>
<p>Remus grinned at his friend as he passed their desk, slipping into the seat next to Sirius.</p>
<p>"I wasn't expecting to sit with you today..." Remus began.</p>
<p>"You don't mind me sitting here, do you?" Sirius asked, and Remus shook his head.</p>
<p>"So... are you ever going to tell her that James was still interested in her all that time, and the make-over was for nothing?" Remus asked him.</p>
<p>Sirius raised his eyebrows. "I don't know what you mean," he replied, innocently. So, Lily might have mentioned something about setting us up on a date... if you're interested?"</p>
<p>Remus grinned, quickly writing his number on a scrap of paper. As he slid the bit of paper across the desk, his eyes met silver again. "Was it revenge?"</p>
<p>Sirius nodded, trying to hide a smile. "I must admit that I hated seeing my friend so down over this constant rejection. But hopefully now she'll say yes when he asks her again." His fingers brushed Remus' as he took the paper, smiling as he looked at it in his hand.</p>
<p>"I'm sure you'll call me when you want to arrange that date," he replied. He watched as Sirius pulled his phone out, writing the number in, before tucking the slip of paper into his wallet. Remus' phone vibrated in his pocket.</p>
<p>"Or I could just tell you now that I'm taking you out tomorrow night. Wear a jacket, we'll be on the bike and text me your address."</p>
<p>"I can't wait," Remus replied, with a smile.</p><hr/>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    <a href="https://neondomino.tumblr.com/">I have a Tumblr - come say hi!</a>
  </p>
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